Why Antifreeze is Important, Especially in the Saskatoon Winter

Posted on 11/28/2016

Fantastic service IS the discount at Glenwood! Most of us rely very heavily on our vehicles in our day to day lives. When you do have an unexpected mechanical problem, it does more than inconvenience you - it can bring your schedule to a complete stop! When this happens, you NEED a professional to get you rolling again, but what you WANT is to be dealt with honestly. You want to know what is wrong with the vehicle, what needs to be done and what it will cost.

Why Antifreeze is Important, Even in the Winter

We’ve said this before and can say it all over again, it is extremely important to make sure your car is running in pristine condition in our Canadian winter. Antifreeze, which consists of a mixture of glycol and water, is important to have in your car all year round, and is especially important for the winter season. One of the most important reasons is because the glycol part of the antifreeze will prevent it from turning to ice in harsh, severe cold weather conditions. However, there’s more to it than just preventing the liquids from freezing.

When discussing antifreeze, it is important to know how much water and how much coolant (glycol) to mix for your car. The suggested amount is fifty percent water, fifty percent glycol coolant. This mixture ratio has a lower freezing point, and allows heat to transfer from the engine to the inside of the vehicle. If you use 100% coolant, you are putting your engine at risk of failing. If you use 100% water, it can cause your engine to overheat. This is why It is best to use the 50/50 mixture of coolant and water for optimal performance.

Antifreeze has a key role, aside from transferring heat away from the engine. Using antifreeze in your car prevents rust and corrosion from building up on your cooling system. Make sure that you are changing your antifreeze at the recommended intervals from your manufacturer. This is important because rust, dirt particles and scale can build up as the chemicals in the antifreeze are used up. Replacing old antifreeze and flushing the system decreases the possibility of debris and scale buildup clogging your cooling system.